PAHO 42

At the groundbreaking revelation, Na Taebeom’s listless face was reflected in Nam Gyeonhwa’s widening eyes.

“To be precise, he’s my half-brother. We’re not on good terms, but I guess you could say we’re in a relationship where we’re forced to see each other once or twice a year during the holidays.”

Won Hyeonseong was a name Nam Gyeonhwa had heard of. He was the one who had led the field of biotechnology, a long-cherished project of Samwon’s previous chairman, to innovation. Thanks to his neat and sophisticated impression, he even had people who followed him like a celebrity, both domestically and internationally.

Nam Gyeonhwa had heard rumors that a major corporation was involved in Nakdo taking its current form, but he had never imagined that this rumor would include such an intimate blood tie.

“Is it really okay to disclose such a personal family matter to me?”

“You said you were curious. And it’s not such a great secret that I need to hide it. It’s a story that’s circulated enough in stock market gossip sheets that you can find it all if you look for it.”

Na Taebeom yawned and stretched his stiff body. The leather of the backrest he was leaning on made a sound as it was pushed back.

“About twenty years ago, I think? The district that was developed under the name ‘Aesthetic District Plan’ ahead of the Asian Games is the current Nakdo. Back then, it was nothing more than a garbage dump for gathering worthless things, but with no available land up top and the sinkhole problem arising, they created an underground city to solve it. Coincidentally, Wiyeonggwan was a place Samwon, which wanted to turn Nakdo into one big product, built to entertain its investment V.I.Ps.”

He let out a short whistle and continued.

“This huge cavern itself is basically a secret pleasure district born from the capital of a major corporation.”

A huge cavern. The image of Nakdo he had seen at dawn suddenly came to mind. The shadow of a city adorned with neon lights.

“Director Won Hyeonseong is the type who considers the open secret that Samwon is connected to Nakdo a flaw. Now that he’s got the politicians well-persuaded without needing this kind of back-alley business, he’s been wanting to cut ties under the pretext of a generational change, and the fact that I, whom he’s not on good terms with, am in Nakdo really gets on his nerves.”

“A succession battle, is that the situation?”

“Succession? What succession? I wouldn’t take it even if he gave it to me. I despise troublesome things.”

Na Taebeom snorted and closed his eyes languidly. A shadow stained his closed face.

“But every time I watch television, the sight of the director putting on airs with that lofty face is a bit nauseating. For the past few years, Won Hyeonseong’s side has been trying desperately to exclude my shares, which was already getting on my nerves. So I just decided to respond proactively.”

“Then, what about the confidential information that was on the data chip?”

“I don’t know. It wasn’t my thing in the first place. I got it by chance.”

“By chance?”

He asked again, but no further answer followed. The tone was rather light, as if intentionally omitting the answer rather than not knowing, but the content was by no means light. Just considering the mention of trying to exclude his personal shares, Nam Gyeonhwa could understand why Samwon was going this far.

Even with the blockade order, Nakdo had suffered little damage. On the contrary, Nakdo had prospered in the process, and it was the citizens who had erupted in complaint.

Won Hyeonseong, who had been chosen as the next owner, regarded Na Taebeom as an impurity in the succession process and was trying to take him out. He was like a blemish that could tarnish Won Hyeonseong’s true image, so the intention must have been to take measures, whether by elimination or concealment, and in that process, Nam Gyeonhwa, whom he had intended to use as a disposable pawn, had been unlucky enough to be discovered by and get entangled with Na Taebeom.

Nam Gyeonhwa, pressing his throbbing forehead, let out a long sigh. It was a case of a shrimp’s back breaking in a whale’s fight. In that case, what on earth was the secret that Samwon had been so guarded about? To dismiss it as unimportant felt wrong, given their attempt to smuggle it out by hiring even a mere mercenary.

With his hands clasped on his stomach, Na Taebeom whistled. Nam Gyeonhwa, who had been quietly looking down at him, swallowed dryly and asked.

“…So what is it you want me to do?”

“It’s not a very difficult job. Just when the guy who dragged you into this mess contacts you, you tell me everything he said. As we go around together, your movements will naturally reach the director’s ears directly, and after that, even if you just stay still, they’ll come crawling in like moths to a flame.”

“Is that all?”

It was just a question to get a firm confirmation. At some point, the car had stopped. It was the parking lot behind Wiyeonggwan. Gwon Jongdae, who had gotten out of the car first, tapped on the left car door where Na Taebeom was sitting. Despite the silent signal asking if it was okay to open the door, Na Taebeom did not budge.

“He said we’ve arrived.”

Even with the reminder of the situation, Na Taebeom showed no sign of getting out. It was then, as Nam Gyeonhwa was about to open the car door in Gwon Jongdae’s stead.

“Where are you going in the middle of a conversation?”

“Ah.”

As a hot palm pulled his left arm as if to restrain him, Nam Gyeonhwa let out a reflexive exclamation and awkwardly raised only his head. Wasn’t the business already finished? What else does he want to say? At his suspicious gaze, Na Taebeom leaned his body forward pressingly.

“The thing I told you about last time. Don’t you remember?”

“What?”

“I said let’s do something convincing instead of a half-baked relationship.”

“Convincing…?”

The moment the heavy warmth drew closer, the palm on his thigh dug into his groin.

“You have to fuck with me, too. We were good together, remember? Our sexual compatibility.”

His brows furrowed automatically at the vulgar and crude words. Na Taebeom cocked his head.

“You don’t know what ‘fuck’ means?”

He knew what ‘fuck’ meant. Having lived in a red-light district since childhood, he had been exposed to countless sexual slang terms. Even if he did not want to know, he had to know to avoid them, and he had to pay attention. So, there was no reason to act innocent, but he did not want to go out of his way to say he knew, either. Besides, sexual compatibility? In what way could that be considered sexual compatibility?

A dry breath escaped through his teeth. Na Taebeom, who had been staring intently at the pale face that did not hide its uncomfortable guardedness, tapped the ends of Nam Gyeonhwa’s closed knees.

“Has it healed much?”

It was not a question about the state of his knee.

“Last time you said it hurt, so I let you off once.”

“…”

“It’s been five days, so it must be much better. Hmm?”

Nam Gyeonhwa, who had been glaring coldly at the face wrapped in a leisurely smile, reached his arm back and unlocked the door. The car door clicked open, and as his weight naturally shifted, his body was pushed out of the car. He had been planning to kick Na Taebeom if he tried to grab him, but surprisingly, Na Taebeom was compliant.

Ahead of the autumn match schedule, Wiyeonggwan was bustling with preparations for its opening.

The trees planted at the entrance to the stadium were in the process of being replaced with new street trees. It was not just the entrance; construction was also underway inside, as trucks loaded with building materials were visible here and there.

The place Na Taebeom led him to was, as expected, the executive office. Even though he had walked this corridor a few times, Nam Gyeonhwa was overcome by an awkward feeling for no reason. This would be the first time he was following Na Taebeom in a sober state of mind, not as a frantic intruder.

The executive office had a completely different atmosphere from what he had seen before. No, it was more than different; it was unfamiliar. The room, flooded with the light from lamps that replaced sunlight, was so bright it felt fresh to the point of being strange, and thanks to that, the already large room looked twice as spacious. Above all, what captured Nam Gyeonhwa’s attention was the large window. The north side, which he had simply thought was a wall, was wide open with floor-to-ceiling glass, and beyond it, the entire stadium was visible.

“Is it amazing?”

Na Taebeom, who had slightly turned his head, asked. It was amazing, but Nam Gyeonhwa did not answer. As if not entirely displeased by that reaction, Na Taebeom grinned and turned around.

“Take it.”

Na Taebeom lifted the documents he had placed on the desk and tossed them into Nam Gyeonhwa’s chest. When Nam Gyeonhwa opened the envelope to see the contents, he found that, in addition to the employment contract he had just seen, it contained a temporary residence visa certificate and two flat cards.

The photograph printed inside the blue resident card was none other than Nam Gyeonhwa himself.

“I used a photo I stole from the Immigration Bureau’s records. We could take a new one, but I figured there was no need to upload new data to the surveillance cameras. The fewer traces there are, the more advantageous it is for avoiding motion detection.”

The stiff face was from when he had first set foot in Seoul. He had been told that his entry records had been deleted long ago, but seeing them clearly remaining and being made into a fake resident card made him let out a hollow laugh. Na Taebeom, who was watching Nam Gyeonhwa’s face filled with a strange expression, continued.

“The details have been well-forged, but it would be best for you not to go outside Nakdo without my permission, if at all possible.”

Is the other card besides the resident card some kind of access card? The card he picked up without much thought was, contrary to his expectation, a cash card.

“What is this?”

“A cash card.”

“Right, but why are you giving me this?”

“To use it, of course. Even if it’s for external appearances or whatever, you’re still my exclusive bodyguard, dispatched on a special assignment. It would be disappointing if I didn’t pay you a salary, wouldn’t it?”

“…If I’m going to receive it, I’d rather receive it as cash.”

“No.”

Na Taebeom cut him off decisively and sat on the arm of the sofa.

“It’s unlikely, but just in case the mutt decides to run off to another city or something, I thought a card would be more useful than cash. There are restrictions on the areas of use, but there’s no limit, so use it as you wish. Buy the kid some snacks, and buy yourself some clothes too.”

In reality, it meant it was for surveillance purposes.

“And for the deposit on the house you’re living in now, I’ll take it from the money you received from Section Chief Jo back then. It’s money you have to pay anyway, so you have no complaints, right?”

“…”

Nam Gyeonhwa swallowed a groan. It certainly was not wrong, but why did it feel like something was being taken away rather than given? Groceries were one thing, but thinking about the day Nam Haejin would settle in Seoul in the future, he had to save up cash. While he was tied to Na Taebeom in this exclusive relationship, it would not be easy to do side jobs. His mind was complicated in many ways.

“Oh, and.”

Na Taebeom, who had been rummaging through his pocket, wiggled his fingers.

“This is the most important thing. I almost forgot.”

Nam Gyeonhwa looked at the outstretched palm and furrowed his brow.